Loads of Learned Lumber

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Scott McCloud and Bill Kartalopoulos, eds, _The Best American Comics 2014_

I ALWAYS ENJOY these, but this one was special. What better editor for such a volume than Scott McCloud? Articulate, catholic in his tastes, alert to good work on every front, from web comics to graphic novels for young adults to the outer fringe, McCloud is as near an ideal editor as one can imagine, his prose, judgement, and editor's eye rise to every occasion, from Chris Ware 's Building Stories to Allie Brosh.

"Please read, do not browse," warns McCloud's foreword. "The following comics selections and text explanations are meant to be read in the same order in which they're presented here." I did exactly that, and you should too. It's an essay in the form of an anthology.

I only wish they would have him edit it every year.

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